'Stop commenting on other countries': Macron calls out Italian PM Meloni for remark over French activist's death

French president Emmanuel Macron.

• Macron urges Meloni to avoid commenting on France's affairs
• Macron criticizes Meloni's remarks on activist's killing
• Meloni denies interference, calls her comments solidarity

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to stop "commenting on what is happening in other people's countries" after the latter condemned the killing of a far-right activist Quentin Deranque in France.

Macron, who is on an official visit to India, criticised Meloni for publicly reacting to the incident. Responding to Meloni's remarks, Macron said he was “struck by the fact that people who are nationalists, who don’t want to be bothered at home, are always the first to comment on what is happening in other countries.”

"If everyone just minded their own business, things would be just fine. Let everyone stay in their own lane," Macron shot back in New Delhi.

Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people last week on the sidelines of a far-right protest at a university in the city of Lyon. Most of the 11 suspects detained are from far left movements, news agency AFP reported, citing sources.

Macron also said there was no place in France "for movements that adopt and legitimise violence" and stressed that violence from any political camp was unacceptable.

“Nothing can justify violent action, neither on one side nor the other, and not even in a head-to-head confrontation that is deadly for the republic," said the French President.

Earlier on Thursday, a member of the French President's team said that Macron was concerned and was monitoring the situation closely.

On Wednesday, Meloni said Deranque's killing was "a wound for all of Europe," saying the death of “a boy just over 20 years old, attacked by groups linked to left-wing extremism and overwhelmed by a climate of ideological hatred that is sweeping across several nations," deeply shocked and saddened her.

The killing has fuelled political tensions in France ahead of municipal elections in March and the 2027 presidential race, in which the far-right National Rally (RN) party is seen as having its best chance yet at winning the top job.

Meanwhile, responding to Macron’s criticism in a television interview with SkyTG24 on Thursday, Meloni rejected accusations of interference.

“Frankly, I’ve been very surprised by this declaration from Macron...My reflection is not about France but about the risks of polarization,” Meloni told Sky later in the day.

“I’m sorry that Macron experienced it as interference," she said, arguing that expressing solidarity did not amount to meddling in France’s internal affairs.

“Interference is something else, for instance, when a leader is elected by his citizens, and a foreign country says we will monitor on the rule of law. That’s interference,” she added, in a reference to when the French government said it would monitor rule of law in Italy days after Meloni’s election win.